Many food processing machines include a removable receptacle in which food may be processed, and/or into which food that has been processed by the machine may be delivered. A well-known example of the former is a conventional home blender, which includes a blender cup removably mountable on a base, and in which food may be mixed, chopped, or otherwise processed. An example of the latter type of apparatus is an ice shaver/blender machine for making frozen drinks. In such a machine, shaved ice is delivered to a receptacle removably mounted below the shaver mechanism. Further processing of the shaved ice and other drink ingredients is performed within the receptacle. In such machines, it is desirable to prevent unwanted splashing and discharge of food from the top of the receptacle, both during processing of the food while in the receptacle, and during delivery of food to the receptacle from another part of the machine.
One machine that includes a cover assembly for a removable food receptacle is a shaver/blender machine described in Mitsubayashi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,002, entitled Method Of Making Soft Ice-Drink And Apparatus Of Making The Same. According to that patent, shaved ice is delivered to a container cup through a delivery chute, the ice and other drink ingredients then being mixed to make a soft ice-drink. In the Mitsubayashi et al. machine, a "soft" lid is detachably mounted to the lower end of the shaved ice discharge chute to cover the opening of the container and purportedly to prevent the ice granules and other ingredients from escaping the container as the drink is mixed. In that patent the soft lid appears to be a thin, flat, disc-shaped cover that merely sits on or near the top of the container cup.
A "soft" and thin lid that sits atop the receptacle, like that mentioned in the Mitsubayashi et al. patent, does not adequately prevent unwanted splashing and discharge of the drink ingredients when the blender mechanism in an ice shaver/blender machine is operated.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cover for a removable food receptacle, which cover will prevent splashing or discharge of the ingredients during processing of the food in the receptacle, and/or while food is delivered to the receptacle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cover assembly for a removable food receptacle that is convenient to use, relatively inexpensive to construct, and easy to maintain.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a receptacle cover that is semi-rigid in order to prevent ready dislodgment, yet easily mountable on the machine and removable from the machine for cleaning or replacement.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a self-seating cover assembly that seats the cover in proper position on the receptacle as the receptacle is positioned into the machine.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a cover assembly that includes a cover having a lower portion that extends partially but substantially into the receptacle to provide better protection against dislodgement, yet does not hamper ready removal of the receptacle from the machine.